Unintentionally Fated
by FirstThingsLast
Summary: It was dark, and right then, I wanted to die in that moment. As I looked up at the sky, I prayed for some sort of painless end to my pathetic life. Instead, what I got was Craig Tucker. [Kyle's POV. Cryle. Story of two boys going from hurt to trust. ]
1. Give Up on the Past

I'd like to think I've lived my life as a decent human being, or as decent as I could be in this dumb town. That's why I didn't understand how things had ended up the way they did for me. If we got what we deserved, then why was I here?

It was the weirdest things that reminded me of you, like the sold signs outside of a recently bought house or people talking about swimming. Of course, to me it was rational to get sad over these things because they reminded me of memories I had once been fond of. To everyone else, I was some freak who'd cry over anything.

To avoid these spells of depression, I found myself delving into things I'd previously swore I wouldn't, most prominently alcohol. Liquor either made me forget temporarily or amplified my sorrow. It was a gamble I was willing to take on my worst nights.

That night, it turned out to be the latter of the two. I'd begun my night at home, sitting in my room with a pack of beer that I'd gotten on the way home from work. Sitting alone only made my sadness worse though, so I soon ended up at Skeeters to avoid becoming meloncholy. The atmosphere only continued the downwards spiral though, for when I arrived, the only young people inside were Tammy and Kenny who were too involved in each other to see me.

Surrounded by old people who either soured my mood because they were with someone, weren't, or were eyeing me, I drank a couple hard drinks and stumbled my way into the streets.

Bits of my memory still illude me after that. I can vaguely remember banging on Cartman's door, to which he ignored me. I drunkenly tried to hit his window with rocks and instead found out I'd been hitting Ms.Cartman's window all along and bailed.

More lost time and the next memory that fades in is me getting food from City Wok, but I only ate a bit before feeling like I was going to vomit, forcing me to wander from there as well.

Walking around town for what felt like an eternity, I collapsed from a mixture of dizziness, nausea and exhaustion, falling into the grass in front of the now closed school.

It was dark, and right then, I wanted to die in that moment. As I looked up at the sky, I prayed for some sort of painless end to my pathetic life. Instead, what I got was Craig Tucker.

When he first leaned over me, I thought I'd finally come face to face with what I'd just longed for. In a sick way, I was scared, I didn't actually want to cease existing. After a couple quick blinks though, his face filled my fuzzy vision and it clicked in my brain just who he was.

"Are you alive or what?" He asks, voice as cold as ever as his foot nudges into my side.

"Do I look dead to you?" I fire back with more venom than intended.

He pauses a moment. "Yeah, you do."

I let out a heavy sigh, covering my eyes with my forearm. "I wish I was." I admit, laying there with my thoughts as the world around us goes silent again.

He lets out a sigh of his own and I hear rustling beside me. When he speaks again, it's louder than before, closer. "What happened?"

I move my arm just enough to peek over at him, seeing that he was now seated beside me, legs crossed. "Why should I tell you?"

"Kyle, I've spent my whole life on the side lines, doing nothing but watching everyone else live their lives. If there's something I'm actually good at, it's observing people." He pulls out a cigarette, that much I can see as my eyes adjust to the darkness. The end glows red as he lights it, taking an immediate drag. "I know that right now, you're alone. It's clear you don't have anyone, so just for tonight I'll be that shoulder you need. I don't have anything else to do anyway."

I think for a long moment, fearing that he might tell his friends about what I tell him or that he'd make fun of me. The more I thought about it though, the less he seemed like the kind of person who would do those things.

"It's Stan. I'm in love with him." I start, unsure of my wording.

"Okay, now tell me something I haven't already figured out." He mutters with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

I feel minorly offended before remembering that's just the way he is. "All these years, he's dragged me along on a leash of lies. He's told me how much more he loves me than Wendy, how we'd get a house together one day, sweet things that made me honestly believe that he would leave her behind for me and finally tell his parents he was gay. I've repeatedly had my heart broken by him though, cried so many times, but he somehow knew how to play me so I'd fall for it all over again everytime I told him I was done."

Craig seems to be in thought as he repeatedly flicks the ashes of his cigarette into the cold grass. "What a douche..." He mutters.

"The only reason I've given up now is because he asked Wendy to marry him. All those dreams that were ours were ripped away for me in favor of her. In the end, I'll always be his second choice."

I begin to laugh and I don't really know why, maybe it's my body rejecting the overwhelming sadness but I've begun to crack up, the laughter only dying down as I speak again. "He took my virginity. He kept me from finding anyone else my whole life, Craig. I loved him with my whole heart, never even looked at anyone else, and he couldn't repay me with even a little respect. I'm twenty-two, it's been over ten years he's been playing this game. Why couldn't he just tell me when we were younger that he would never want to end up with me? Why did he ruin my life up until now?"

For the first time in the week after I'd heard the news, I was able to vent to someone. That laughter turned into loud, ugly sobbing as I began to wipe my eyes with balled up fists.

Unexpectedly, Craig moved in closer so our legs were touching, his hand grabbing one of mine. When I looked up, he stayed blank faced, staring ahead at the shrouded building. He stroked the back of my hand with his thumb as I cried until I couldn't anymore. I swore I even heard a couple sniffles from him as well.

"I know how that is. Trust me." He finally reassures.

"H-how?" My voice is weak, my mind more sobered.

"Kenny fucking McCormmick is how." he mumbles. "That's why I'm out here too, if I'm being honest. Blowing off steam."

I was a bit surprised to hear my only friend's name from Craig's lips. "Kenny..? Is he the same?"

"He is. He actually dated me off and on though, acted like he was the only person who would ever understand me and then disappeared from my life at random for months, and sometimes years. He always comes back though and reminds me that he'll never truly reciprocate the feelings I've given him."

I nod, staring at the sky above for a moment as I realized that I wasn't alone. I continue to sniffle disgustingly, eyes finally dry enough to stop overflowing. That was enough to calm my emotions. "Thank you." I mumbled, now more tired than anything.

"It's not like you'll remember this in the morning. Or at least I hope you won't."

I would though.

He releases my hand, rising to his feet. "Let me take you home before you fall asleep. I don't feel like sitting out here anymore anyway." He offers a hand, assisting me in standing.

After that, he brings me back to my house in silence, making sure I get inside before vanishing into the darkness he'd appeared from earlier.

As I laid in bed and began to drift off, I couldn't help but realize that this was the first night I felt at ease.

I knew I'd remember this moment for the rest of my life.

[ ** _Thank you for reading this hot mess. I can't decide if this should be a one-shot or the beginning of an unconventional romance. Please let me know which you think._**

 ** _Also, this actually happened to me. I survived crossing a high way and laid in the grass outside of a Dunkin Donuts and someone I knew in high school worked at that location. I thought it was surreal enough to make an interesting piece._**

 ** _That's all for now. Please review with an opinion!]_**


	2. I Wanna Get Better

Life always goes on, whether you want it to or not.

Even though Craig was the only one I'd talked to about my depression, it still made me feel better. Those tears that I shed that night, they were the last I would let fall for Stan.

I still felt extreme twinges of pain in my chest whenever I thought about how he was with someone else, but I'd soon brush it off, pushing the thought from my mind.

In the end, I didn't need him anymore. I was an adult, and with the flow of time, I would soon feel little to nothing about the situation. I would find someone else, maybe even get dumped again, but it was the trial and error I didn't get to experience in my teenage years that I craved.

I wanted to grow attached to someone, anyone else but Stan. Having my options open felt almost liberating. I knew in the back of my mind that I would use that person as just another vice, but I wouldn't admit that.

The only fear I had now was that I would one day srop feeling completely.

All I did was work and sleep without Stan and Cartman, and that alone perpetuated my longing for a new connection.

It was a couple weeks before I saw Craig again, which would normally be strange since we lived in such a tight knit community, but he was known to not leave his house during the day so it wasn't unusual.

I worked at an arcade in the mall, standing behind the counter for most of the day and handing out prizes. The only time it was taxing was when a machine broke and I had to repair it. Not my dream job but I pretty much got paid to play with toys and games all day, so there was no room for complaint either.

It was hot out on that paticular day. With all the machinery and shitty mall AC, I was practically melting in the arcade. I had turned all the fans on but they were doing little to help me. In a last ditch effort, I'd used two bobby pins we had as prizes to pin my messy waves out of my face.

Craig came walking in, looking as unhappy as ever. In tail were those two dumb friends of his, Clyde and Tweek. He didn't see me at first, his dark blue eyes darting between the abundance of flashing lights and then back to the brunette beside him, who was waving his arms around as he told some story. He'd ditched his chullo, most likely thanks to the sudden heat wave outside.

Tweek was the first to notice me, approaching the counter. "A-ah, Kyle. It's been a while." He was still a little shaky and disheveled, but he'd stopped drinking his families coffee a couple years back so he was a bit more pleasant to talk to.

Clyde, on the other hand, was a douche. A giant douche. He'd repeatedly gotten what he wanted throughout his life and now he thought he was better than everyone else. As soon as he opened his mouth to talk, I already felt a wave of annoyance. "Ah, Broflovski! Aren't you looking cute today in that uniform~" He made his usual attempts to be smooth, leaning against the counter.

"It clearly says 'Do Not Lean on Glass' right here." I point at the paper taped to the top of the display case, shooting him daggers.

He throws his hands up over-dramatically, taking a defensive stance. "My b." he backs away before turning to walk to the token machine. Tweek gives me a nervous look before hurrying to catch up.

My gaze moves to Craig, who is now squatting to look at the prizes in the waist high display case. "Is there something you wanted?" I asked as I folded my arms atop the glass counter, leaning forward some.

He glances up at me. "I thought you said no leaning on the glass." He says plainly, eyes scanning over the small prizes again after.

I smiled, glancing over at the other two, who were now pounding the bottons too hard on the Tekken machine. "I just don't like Clyde, is all. I let most people who aren't heavy set lean on the glass." I admit.

That puts a subtle, temporary smirk on his lips. He stands up straight again, glancing at the things behind me before our eyes meet. When they do, he keeps them locked on mine. "Are you feeling better?"

I shift my weight, pushing off of the counter. "I guess I'm as good as I can be. Thank you." I nod.

His hands shove into his pockets. "It's hard to get over. If you want, I can give you my number. In case you need to talk more or whatever." He begins to mumble towards the end, seemingly embarrassed.

I look down through the glass, nodding. I had seen the items inside at least a million times but his comment made me feel a bit nervous. "You have to take my number, I can't have my phone out on the clock."

He takes his hand from his pocket along with his phone, opening the dial pad just as Clyde's voice fills the air over all the noise from the games. "Craig, come face me, Tweek sucks!"

He ignores him temporarily, waiting for me to spew numbers, which I did. Soon enough, his phone was locked and he was on his way over to join his needy friend who refused to shut up.

I occupied myself with unpacking new prizes and setting them up in the cases, sneaking glances at the group every couple minutes. I wondered why Craig was suddenly being so nice to me. He'd never taken an interest in me before that night, nor did he have to bring it up.

They play almost everything before rejoining me with a couple handfuls of tickets, arguing about how they're going to spend them. Well, Tweek and Clyde are arguing. Craig is squatting in the same place as before.

"I want one of these." He says as he points at a package of gummy worms. I contently hand them over, throwing their tickets in the garbage now that they're used. Without a word, he walks out. Of course, his friends are much too occupied to notice any of this happening.

"Okay, so I think I know what we want.." Clyde starts but I quickly point at Craig who stands just outside.

"He used all of the tickets. Sorry."

_

I didn't get out until late, a group of teenagers coming in at the last possible minute and leaving behind a mess. I cleared it as quickly as I could and closed up the arcade, making sure I had everything before locking the gate. By time I was done, most of the shops in the mall were closed. It was dark, the usually bustling inside now dead and silent. I liked it.

I pulled out my phone as I walked down the escalator, which had been shut off for the night. Unlocking it, I saw that I had three missed messages, which was unusual these days for me. All of them were from Craig.

(Unknown Sender); _What should I put you in my phone as?_

 _(Unknown Sender); Nevermind, I just put your name._

 _(Unknown Sender); When do you get out of work?_

I thought for a moment about my reply. I didn't want to come across as something I wasn't. My thumbs hovered over the keys until I reached the main entrance to the building.

 _I just got out a couple of minutes ago. Why?_

I locked my phone, shoving it away in my pocket and pushing past the large, glass doors. The cold air felt nice against my hot skin, almost causing goosebumps to arise. The nice weather made my walk feel much faster.

Once home, I hurried up into my room to get changed, but not before looking at my phone again.

(Tucker); _Do you wanna come meet me at the Village Inn or something. I'm starving._

I was beyond tired after the hot day at work, but the offer did sound really good. I threw my phone down on my bed while I tried to decide, stripping my clothes off and replacing them with something more casual.

Since I didn't work the following day, I didn't see the harm. I needed nothing more than to get out for a while.

 _Sure, I just got dressed. I'll head out in a minute._

It doesn't even take him a minute to respond, clearly anticipating my reply.

(Tucker); _Wait for me. I'll actually just meet you at your house. No point in going alone if we're both heading there now._

An uncharacteristic smile crosses my lips as I respond.

 _Okay, I'll be here._

I headed into the bathroom to wash my face and clean myself up, then down the stairs to the livingroom where mom was now sitting.

"Hi, bubbie. You must be hungry. I wrapped leftovers up for you in the fridge. You better get to them before Ike does." She glances at me from the couch for a moment then back down to her phone.

"Actually, I'm going out to dinner with Craig tonight, mom. I'll eat it if I'm still hungry after." I say as I make my way over to one of the front windows, pushing the curtain to the side to peek out at the dimly lit street. When I turned back to my mom, she was peering at me over her glasses skeptically. "What? I'll be home at a reasonable time."

"It's not that, you know I don't like the Tuckers very much. They're vulgar people." She glances back to her screen, the light from it illuminating her face some. "Besides. it says here that it's supposed to rain the rest of the night."

I try not to roll my eyes. "I'm a twenty-two year old man, mom. I think I can handle Craig Tucker and some rain."

"I'm just worried, Kyle."

"Well, you don't have to be~" I'm able to reassure her before there's knock on the door. I hesitate before turning and pulling it open.

And there he way, Craig in all his glory. He was wearing the same jeans and tee from earlier, only now he clad his chullo and a flannel. "Hey." He mutters.

"Hey. It's not raining yet, is it?" I look around outside before my eyes land on him again.

"It's just drizzling. We should hurry in case it does start raining harder." He says, glancing past me into the living room.

I nod, grabbing an umbrella before stepping outside, closing the door behind me. I had to do a little jog because Craig had already begun walking. When I did catch up, I opened the umbrella, holding it up over both of our heads.

Craig was quite a bit taller than me, but so were most guys my age. I must have gotten my height from my mother. This meant I switched arms frequently to keep from getting achy.

It was a bit awkward walking with him at first, the conversation pretty typical. "How was your day", "Do you like where you work", "Do you still hang out with blah blah." Once those simple minded questions were out of the way, though, we made room for more comfortable topics. We recalled stories from out childhood, Craig even getting a kick out of the time that Clyde's mom came to class and yelled at him about the toilet seat.

We'd been so wrapped up, we hardly noticed that it'd started to pour around us. It wasn't until the umbrella was forcefully ripped from my grasp by a gust of wind that we broke from our words. Craig tried to catch it but his fingertips only managed to graze the handle.

I stared in disbelief as it flew away, soon feeling a tug on my arm. Craig pulls me under the closest shelter from the rain, the overhang above the front stairs of the post office.

"Ah, dude! What now?" I huff loudly out of annoyance.

"Now, we wait. I mean, unless you feel like walking in this." He mutters, moving to sit of the first concrete step as he pulls out his cigarettes. He inspects the pack before popping one into his mouth.

I can't help but admire how stoic he is no matter the situation. It was something I had noticed since we were young. It was an attractive quality.

"Sorry for letting go of the umbrella. My hand must have been more tired then I thought." I pressed my back against the front door, sliding down until I was seated beside him.

He shook his head, letting the smoke pour from his mouth. "Nah, I saw you struggling. I should have helped."

I glanced at him before looking out at the rain soaked road. A gust of wind swept through and made me wish I had a jackI wrapped my arms around myself.

He must have noticed and began to slip his flannel off, holding it towards me. When I gave him a questioning look, he verbally replied. "I'm cold blooded. Or hot blooded or whatever you call it. I can live without it."

I hesitated before taking it from his grasp, slinging it over my own, smaller frame. It was large but still retained the heat form his body. The warmth felt good on my skin.

"So your mom hates me, huh?"

I look back at him with a questioning gaze. "What makes you say that?"

He puts his cigarette out on the cement beside him. "She was glaring at me when you came out like I was some douchebag who just insulted her."

"Ah, yeah. It's nothing personal. She's skeptical of anyone that's not Stan or Kenny, even though they're not better than anyone else." I nod thoughtfully.

He gets a kick out of this for some reason, and I decide his reaction is probably sarcastic. "Ah, your mom is so overprotective and yet she has no idea.."

"They hide it so well, is why. Sometimes, though, I think I'm maturing and they're stuck in our childhoods. Maybe that's why we drift further apart everyday." I mutter, hugging my legs to my chest.

"At least people like you. I still have the same old friends because I lack the social skills to make new ones. I'll be stuck with Clyde and Tweek as friends until they eventually move away like Token too."

"Aren't I your friend?" The words leave my mouth before I have the chance to stop them. I tense up a little, my heart suddenly picking up speed.

He seems a bit surprised at first but soon offers a nod. "Yeah, I guess we are~"

The rain doesn't let up for an hour or so as we continue to alternate between silence and small conversation. Even though what we talked about held little weight, I felt that the time I spent there with him was valuable, another memory made with Craig that I wouldn't forget.

We gave up on diner food and instead stopped at the convience store to grab sandwiches since it was all that was open. I didn't mind since I was enjoying the company.

Craig walked me to my door once again and we said our reluctant goodbyes. I was tempted to invite him in but I didn't want him to get the wrong idea so the words slipped my mind.

Exhausted, I immediately found my way into my bed and under the covers, kicking off my shoes and pants on the way.

It wasn't until I was in the confines of my sheets that I smelt a familiarly comforting smell, realizing I still had Craig's flannel on.

My brain told me to take it off so I didn't ruin it with my own scent, but when my hands reached up, I found myself impulsively pulling the fabric over my nose and inhaling deeply.

For some reason, the mixture of Axe and Craig in my nose caused a stirring in my lower region.

Embarrassed, I quickly rolled onto my stomach, burying my face in the pillow and forcing myself to sleep.

What was it that I was feeling for Craig? Did I want to fill the void that Stan left or were my feelings genuine?

These questions stirred in my brain as I drifted off.


End file.
